Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life-Chapter 65: Intelligence for the Examinations

"That money has to cover both of us in town, everything we eat and wear, plus the tuition gifts for the County School, and we need to buy ink, brushes, paper, and inkstones. Forty taels sounds like a lot, but once you really spend it, it won't last more than a few months," Su Ming said calmly.

"Pupil, this prodigal fool is exactly the negative example for you," Lin Yu activated teaching mode in Su Ming's mind, "Remember, cash flow at all times is the fundamental guarantee for surviving. Money can't do everything, but without money you can do absolutely nothing. Your father is right: this money is hot to the touch, so spend it on the sharp edge. Every single coin must serve our ultimate goal — to survive safely."

"Also, I'll warn you one more time." Lin Yu's tone grew serious. "We are new here, our foundation is not firm, and our strength is weak. Stay away from any place that might trigger uncontrolled risks! Anything that looks like a 'chance' or 'opportunity,' don't touch it! That ruined temple last time was a warning. Until you can punch a cow dead with one blow, behave yourself like an ordinary scholar. Do you understand?"

"I understand, master," Su Ming answered in his heart.

He raised his head and looked at Zhao Rui, then spoke earnestly: "Starting tomorrow, our daily expenses cannot exceed fifty wen, including rent."

"What?" Zhao Rui jumped up. "Fifty wen? Subtract thirty wen for rent and there's only twenty wen left? What can you do with that? Not even enough for two meat buns! I'm not doing it!"

"Then figure it out yourself." Su Ming finished speaking and ignored him, sitting cross-legged on the bed and closing his eyes.

He had to seize every moment to cultivate the Aura Concealment Art.

Zhao Rui glared at Su Ming's complete indifference, furious and itching to act, but helpless. He couldn't really go out alone. In the end, he could only lie down angrily and pull the blanket over his head.

Early the next morning, just as dawn began to pale the sky, Su Ming opened his eyes.

He nudged the still-murmuring Zhao Rui awake.

"Get up, we're going out."

"Where to so early..." Zhao Rui rubbed his sleepy eyes, reluctant.

"To buy books."

Fifteen minutes later, the two of them stood beneath the towering ancient locust tree at the west corner of the city.

Morning mist still clung to the air, but the bookstall was already set up. The thin figure crouched beside the straw mat, arranging books.

"Xu Qing." Su Ming walked up and greeted him.

Xu Qing looked up, and when he saw Su Ming his calm eyes flashed a gentle smile.

"Coming to deliver paper?" Xu Qing had already known which of the visits were Su Ming's since the time they sold paper to his father. When they first opened a sales channel, Su Ming had come to town three times; on one of those occasions it had been Xu Qing who was guarding the stall.

His gaze then fell on Zhao Rui standing behind Su Ming. Zhao Rui wore a brand-new thin cotton long shirt; though he tried to look humble, the picky impatience in his eyes couldn't be hidden.

The smile on Xu Qing's face faded. He only nodded politely at Zhao Rui and then stopped looking at him.

"I'm here to buy a few books to prepare for the County School's examination," Su Ming naturally crouched down and began scanning through the stacks.

Zhao Rui stood aside, bored, looking around with no interest in the yellowing old books.

"The County School assessments start in a month," Xu Qing said softly as he helped Su Ming find books. "Many scholars in town are nervous. Wenbao Zhai's Essays and Commentaries has gone up in price again." Xu Qing instantly understood Su Ming's purpose in coming.

"I don't need that." Su Ming shook his head and picked out a book explaining basic policy-essay composition, The Basics of Policy Essays.

He paid, then casually asked, "Has the price of paper gone up in town recently?"

Xu Qing paused and sighed. "Yes. I heard there was a great flood down south and the merchant routes that transport paper were cut off. Good xuan paper is nearly as expensive as meat now. My cost to copy books has risen a lot; life is getting harder."

He spoke while glancing at the ink on his fingertips, his expression dim.

An opportunity presented itself.

Su Ming lowered his voice and leaned in a little. "Brother Xu, if... I had a kind of paper, better than the usual grass paper, would you want some?" Before leaving home, he had told his second brother to improve the quality of the paper just a bit: one purpose was to stabilize popular sentiment and avoid villagers' resentment that might lead to trouble, the other was to give the village some influence. Lin Yu had complained a lot about this, fearing Su Yang would use Su Ming's secret methods to make paper capable of bringing ruin to the whole Su Family Village. So Lin Yu had insisted that Su Ming keep the paper from Su Yang not too good, and repeatedly warned Su Yang about the consequences until he relented.

Xu Qing suddenly looked up, a flash of sharp light in his eyes. "Really?"

For a family who lived by copying books, paper was their lifeblood. Cheap yet high-quality paper meant higher profit and stronger competitiveness. The Su Family Village's paper was already much better than the common grass paper on the market; if it could be improved further it might rival inexpensive xuan paper.

"I can't guarantee it," Su Ming said cautiously. "It's still a trial. If it works, you'll be the first to see it."

"Good!" Xu Qing nodded heavily, showing rare excitement. "Su Ming, if you really pull this off, I'll owe you a huge favor!"

Zhao Rui impatiently prodded from the side, "Hey, are you done? It's just a few sheets of paper, why all the mystery? Hurry up, I'm starving!"

Xu Qing's expression chilled instantly.

He ignored Zhao Rui and instead looked at Su Ming, speaking quickly and covertly in a lower voice: "The County School assessment, the first part is an oral memorization test; that depends entirely on sheer effort. The second part, the policy essay, is the most critical. The chief examiner is Professor Liu from the County School. He values practicality and detests empty talk. Let me give you this County Records of Qingzhou, read more about farmland, water conservancy, and taxes."

"Thank you, Brother Xu!" Su Ming cupped his hands respectfully.

He knew how many crucial bits of information his second brother's new paper could unlock.

"Excellent! Pupil, see?" Lin Yu praised inside Su Ming's mind. "This is called arbitraging the information gap! That idiot is still thinking about where to get breakfast; you've already secured the first stepping stone to the County School. This Xu Qing is someone worth befriending!"

Su Ming pulled the still-complaining Zhao Rui and turned to leave.

Xu Qing watched their backs, his expression complex. He picked up a piece of coarse cloth and continued wiping book covers, but his thoughts had already drifted far away.

Su Ming... what kind of person is he, really?

He wasn't like those scholars who only studied the Sage's Books, nor like the opportunists obsessed with fame and rank. There was a calm practicality in him that far exceeded his age.

Perhaps he truly could make that kind of paper.